Staying in the Moment

Practicing with some pre-schoolers last week for Palm Sunday, we had a little parade in our Sunday School room.  As we marched, smiled, and waved at the invisible crowds I felt a real sense of excitement and joy from the children that I have always loved about Palm Sunday.  There is this real overwhelming happiness that Jesus is entering the holy city.

Yet the excitement quickly turns to confusion, fear, disbelief, despair, deep sadness, and then just as quickly as these feelings came on – they disappear and give way to the joy of Easter.

This Holy Week journey is incredibly important even though it happens so fast.  We must however be careful that as we prepare to experience it anew this year – that we allow ourselves to stay in the moment.  Sometimes I can hold onto the joy of Palm Sunday to help me get through the sorrow of Good Friday, or I can get stuck in the misery and suffering of the crucifixion.

I encourage you as Palm Sunday and Holy Week approach to be able to stay in the moment.  Allow yourself to fully engage in the Palm Processional.  Encourage your children to feel the emotions of each day and event.  Don’t rush, but don’t get stuck. Hop on and get ready for the ride – trying to remain open for the the Holy Spirit to work and speak to you at every moment.

• I wonder…
• what feelings you have as you travel to celebrate holidays with those you love.
• what feelings the disciples might have had, traveling to and entering Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.
• what the crowds were expecting of Jesus as they spread cloaks and palms down in front of him in celebration?
• who was afraid of Jesus and his disciples?
• what they were really afraid of?
• who are we (the church) afraid of today?
• what keeps us from entering so bravely into the city to bring the message of God’s love – especially for the poor and the weak, as well as the powerful that keep others poor and weak?

Holy God of surprises and parades, your courage and bravery give us strength. As we approach this Palm Sunday, we excitedly celebrate your coming to our cities and our lives.  We don’t know exactly what will happen, or how we will feel – yet as we walk this Holy Week journey with you, help us to keep our eyes on you.  Give us the strength to be your followers wherever the Spirit may lead us.  In your holy and triumphant name we pray, Amen.

Rainbow Covenant

Why and how are two questions that drive us as humans.  Our innate curiosity has helped us to develop amazing technologies, cure horrible diseases, and make life very comfortable for many.  In attempts to make sense of both the world and the divine – cultures created cosmology stories explaining how things came to be.  Prominent in cosmology stories are the major natural forces one encounters daily – wind, water, earth, fire… as they were the forces understood to shape the world.

Today’s text comes after the rain, after the flood, after the messiness. It’s the punchline – the why.  It’s the part we focus on and teach to the children – the happy rainbow in the sky.  God’s promise, covenant, to EVERY LIVING CREATURE (not just Noah!) never again to destroy everything with water.  From this, we are to understand God to be trustworthy.

There are a lot of problematic aspects of this story.  A lot of details we minimize or move through quickly.  The easiest parts are the beginning with the ark and the animals, and the end with the rainbow and the covenant.  I urge you to let yourself absorb the whole story.  Wrestle with it.  Wonder.

The text highlights the covenant – a special relationship and promise that God makes to all of creation.  First here – God does not make this covenant only with humans.  Our theology can often get hierarchical – that first God loves us, and then the animals, and then the rest of creation.  This verse clearly spells out that God is making God’s covenant with every living thing.

Second, it is interesting to wonder why God needed the sign, the reminder.  We use symbols to remind us of many promises we make.  Rings as a sign of our commitment to our husband or wife for example.  In a world of unknown and harsh elements – this sign of God’s love I imagine to be incredibly uplifting and comforting.

Third – context determines meaning.  I imagine this story being told in circles around tents, under the shade of trees, or under shelter waiting out a storm.  We must remember the heritage of our stories of the faith.  As our children become older and their minds develop – we owe it to them to keep returning to this story.  It speaks to all of us.  We owe it to them to wonder together about the people who shared this story to speak about a God beyond themselves.  If we as teachers, as mentors, and as parents allow this foundational story to be only a cute nursery decoration – we do a disservice to the community of faith.  There comes a time where our children can begin to see that these stories, and the bible – the library of the people of God, is not meant to be taken literally.  It is a beautiful tradition that offers a window, revealing aspects of God through God’s beautiful, broken, foolish people.

I wonder what emotions you feel when you are surprised by a rainbow?  I wonder how God’s promises give you assurance of the love your creator has for you?  I wonder how water touches your life in a meaningful way?

Oh God of land and sea, your powerful ways are beyond us Lord yet you covenant with us as a part of your creation.  Guide us in ways that lead to your Kingdom.  Spirit, work within us to claim our identity as the children of God.  Jesus, may your example in the desert remind us that we too need time apart to reflect.  We strive, only in your power oh God, to see your hand through these stories and in the world around us.  In your holy name we pray, Amen.

Listening

In our church year the Sunday before Ash Wednesday is Transfiguration Sunday.  A story filled with amazing and unbelievable events where Jesus brings 3 disciples to the top of a mountain.  Once up there, Jesus is transformed and made dazzling white and Elijah and Moses stop by the party for a bit.  The voice of God is heard – “This is my son, the Beloved, listen to him.”

Wow.   What?

I am not going to pretend I know what happened that day on top of that mountain.  Neither really, do the gospel authors (yes – this account is found in all 3 synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark, & Luke).  The placement of this story is notable – Jesus’s ministry from his baptism until know has focused on teaching and healing throughout various areas of Galilee.  After this story, Jesus begins his trip to Jerusalem.

Each year as we encounter this story, it can speak to each one of us differently.  In years past I have spent time wondering, what change occurred in Jesus at that place?  Is that when he became divine?  We can’t know.  It is a mystery.  Or other times, reflecting upon the significance of Jesus with Moses and Elijah – which is often lost from a Christian perspective.  The original hearers of this story would have picked up on that comparison.  Or Peter… thank you Peter for not being afraid to ask questions out loud – even if your idea turns out to be off the mark.  It gives me comfort to know Jesus hung out with folks who didn’t get it sometimes (or most of the time…?).

In reflecting upon these words this week, and the children at both of the ministries I serve, the words of God in this passage stood out boldly.  We may not know what happened that day, however we clearly know the directions given.  “Listen to him.”

Just 2 chapters before this story in Mark, Jesus is questioned by the Pharisee’s and some scribes about his disciples eating with dirty hands.  Jesus instructs them and the crowd, teaching that it is not outward things which defile the body – but things that come from within.  How we can learn from this and so many other teachings of Jesus today.  As each of us walk our own path of discipleship we must consider what it means to be a Christian.

Are we simply worshipers of Jesus?  Or are we followers of Jesus?  To be followers, we need to often return to bible and read the teachings of Jesus – not only generalize about love and justice – but to go back into the texts and other sources to help us understand the contexts they were written in.

As we stand on this side of the Lenten journey – God is directing us to listen to Jesus.  I find myself often reminding many children I work with  that we listen with both our ears and our eyes.  I find that sometimes I think I can multi-task and listen to a movie or TV show and cook dinner or listen to my husband talk about his day while continuing to draft an email.  Yet when we are honest to ourselves, this is not true listening.  Listening does require our full attention.

I challenge you to use the upcoming season of Lent to really listen to Jesus.  Many of us have heard of the lenten practice of giving something up.  If there is something in your life that distracts you from listening, I encourage you to try and replace that with listening for the next 40 days.  Otherwise instead of focusing on a negative, perhaps for you adding something to your daily routine would be helpful.  Some suggestions:

Daily devotions (the upper room sends out free ones to your e-mail!), or a Daily Prayer practice – the rosary or a formatted prayers of the people can be nice, perhaps there is a song even a hymn) that touches you – download it and take 5 minutes a day to listen to it, doing some journalling or sketching – especially fun to do with your kids, or praying as you walk along the sidewalk for those you are near and the city.

Lent is a time for preparation – so that we may more fully experience the mystery of Easter.  It’s a big mystery, so it take some time to get ready for it.  (Like preparing to have lots of relatives and friends over for a Thanksgiving Feast.)  I pray that it does not become a season of burden or guilt for you, yet one of reflection and learning about our amazing God.

I wonder….

what words of Jesus you find give you the most guidance?  what aspect of the transfiguration story speak to you at this time?  what this lent has in store for the communities of faith you and I are a part of?

O God of mystery, you reveal to us your love through Jesus the Christ.  As we are inspired by his glory and his life we are drawn closer to you.  With the strength of the Holy Spirit help us to take to heart your words today, “This is my son, the Beloved, listen to him.”  In your holy name we pray, Amen.